03/07/2026
Gelukkig allemaal goed gekomen en tevreden klanten.
🚨 Monday reminded me why I never let my guard down. 🚨
Final inspection day. My buyers had just handed in the keys to their holiday stay. They arrived with a fully packed van, a dog, and 3 cats.
New country, new home, day one.
Except the house was locked. No access. No seller in sight.
Furniture still inside. Two cats running loose. And a seller under mandatory legal guardianship (bewindvoering), with a lawyer handling their affairs.
The selling agent suggested breaking in, claiming the bewindvoerder had given permission.
I said no, and went straight in to action.
Instead, I requested the police for a "strong arm" presence. I called the notary and requested funds be withheld from the sale for damages, removal, and cleaning. A locksmith was arranged to replace the locks properly and legally.
Upstairs, every door had been deliberately locked. It didn't take long to understand: this seller had no intention of leaving.
Meanwhile, my buyers stood outside with everything they owned and nowhere else to go. This was their first experience of their new country.
All I could think was: what if they hadn't had someone who was licensed and understood the law? What if they'd trusted a "self-made expat agent" instead of someone who knew exactly which calls to make and in which order?
A huge thank you to , the notary who was super patient and supporting and allowed the transfer to happen hours later. Our translator waited without complaint while we sorted access and got the bewindvoerder to cooperate on withholding funds. It was due to the support of these legends that we could still transfer title.
Afterward, the buyers and I regrouped. Got food. Made a plan. Arranged a cleaner, a builder. By the time we all went home, the panic had turned into a plan.
This is the part of the job no one sees: not the keys handed over with a smile, but the hours before, making sure nothing falls apart when it easily could have.
Buyers deserve someone who knows what to do when things go wrong, not just when things go right.
This is why we do what we do ❤️
🌐 www.expathousingcenter.nl
